Tag Archives: Boston Uprising

Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 2 Week 2

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Happy Marathon Monday Uprising fans. Many New Englanders see the first pitch at Fenway as the first sign of Spring. Personally, it’s always been runners headed down Boylston that does it for me. Just as the warm weather erases all memory of the months of snow shoveling and cold weather, so must a new stage erase our memories of what’s come before. A new patch means a new meta. Teams will rise and teams will fall. And I clearly didn’t give the 3-5 Hangzhou Spark enough credit.

This new world looks different. Two weeks in and we see stage 1 playoff teams Toronto and Atlanta already falling to 1-3 stage 2 records. Suddenly those 2 reverse sweeps from last week don’t look so impressive. Where teams line up in the pecking order is in disarray. And though I thought this match would be a cakewalk for Boston, the Spark proved they were anything but.

The Good

rCk

Huk’s stunning trade before stage 2 continues to prove prophetic. Boston’s new off-tank rCk displayed his signature flexibility throughout the match. On DVa, we saw the Fin eat ultimates like on Anubis when Mei’s blizzard was tossed right into the Defense Matrix. How fun is it when you see the icon for devoured ultimates? Conversely, he lived up to his reputation as a great Sombra player. At Blizzard World, he hit a great EMP on offense that pushed the Point A cap, and seemingly within minutes started a steamroll through Point B. You could tell how paranoid the Spark were getting of him. Sitting on his EMP, he hacked just one player near Point C that spooked the Spark out of position. Boston got a team wipe from it without burning an EMP.

It’s safe to say that rCk was the bright spot in a sea of darkness this night. Boston continues to run most of their team play around him. The question is how do they decide to go DVa or Sombra? There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. While I believe he’s just as good a DVa as Sombra, Boston’s efficacy when he was on the DVa is suspect. Hopefully they can turn it around going forward.

Assault Strategy

As Sideshow pointed out at Halftime, Boston ran a fantastic offense around rCk on Anubis. Using his hacks on the off-tank Ria, Boston would dive the squishy targets knowing the Spark couldn’t peel to defend on Point A. On Point B, Boston did a great job coordinating onto the point and never letting go. After two matches in a row of futile assault maps, it was nice to see the Uprising come out and execute their game plan.

The Bad

GOATs

After a week of two matches that saw a mix of Winston/Hammond dive, Pharmercy, and DPS comps, Boston oddly decided that GOATs would be their approach. With little exception, Boston played the 3-3 all night. To little effect. I’m not sure the mentality here. Did they outthink themselves? Were they expecting Hangzhou to prepare for a mix of comps and then get leveled by GOATs? Did they think the Spark’s record suggested they’d get rolled by a simple GOATs comp? Regardless, it was disappointing to see, in a new patch/meta, such a fixation on GOATs. In their defense, we did see several teams go back to the well here so they’re not alone. But Hangzhou didn’t show such timidness, switching to a bunker comp on Oasis to great effect. Hopefully Boston loosens up next match and tries to switch it up.

Junkertown

What an absolute disaster. While I appreciate Boston not defaulting to the 3-3 and trying out the pirate ship, the Spark were ready. Again, Hangzhou showed superior coordination and synergy. Playing a triple DPS on defense, they made quick work of Boston once they got through the second turn on Point A. Offensively, they switched to GOATs once the payload got past the last turn on Point A. Boston strangely played a Roadhog/Moira comp on defense that did not work at all. Needless to say, I think the coaching staff need to go back to the drawing board when they play this escort map again.

Krystal

Known for leading China’s Overwatch World Cup team to the finals this year, Hangzhou’s unused DPS Krystal certainly sparked the team when he hit the stage. Why did they ever substitute him out? They won every map he played on. Apparently he speaks Mandarin while everyone else speaks Korean. No matter. His Bastion on Oasis’ stage 3 was devastating. Between getting Nano Boosted and his tank ultimate, Boston had no response to their bunker defense.

Funny thing is, Boston has been rumored to be seeking a trade for Krystal all season. You almost could see a twisted irony in him being used against the Uprising. At this point the GMs across the league have to take Huk showing interest in a player as them having a diamond in the rough. Would Hangzhou have played the DPS stud had Huk not called? We’ll never know.

Colourhex

No one suffered more from going back to the GOATs well as Colourhex. After his unbelievable 41% critical accuracy last week, the sniper was stuck on Zarya almost the entire match. There were some low points there. A Graviton sucked up by a Defense Matrix on Oasis. Some bubbles that seemed untimed with teammates. But it didn’t get much better for the kiwi when he got on DPS. His Genji on Anubis wasn’t anything to write home about. Undoubtedly the low point came at the most crucial moment. Up 99% on Leijing Tower, Colourhex got spawn camped by IDK and booped off the map while sitting on his Graviton. To make matters worse, the very next life saw him Whip Shotted off the map by Brigitte. Not pretty.

The Uprising

You have to feel for Blasé being stuck in the Brig as I’ve seen it called. While he’s a serviceable Briggitte, he showed last week he has a wide enough DPS pool to warrant being let loose.

Even at the very end Boston was in it. On Leijing Tower’s third stage, Boston coughed up the point two times while at 99%. Still, you felt that this was just the type of pressure Boston had proven themselves adept at. What a disappointment.

Also about Leijing Tower – how do you have 5 ults after getting up 99%-0% and lose? I think Huk and company will be watching the film on that for awhile. The hubris to burn through those ults and lose the stage like they did was nothing short of embarrassing.

I threw a bit of shade at Fusions last week, wondering if he could stay as relevant in this new meta. I don’t think we have a definitive answer this week, especially because he stuck on the Rein so long. However, I do think he played well tonight, and had some great moments throughout the match.

I’m convinced Kellex is the best stall Lucio in the league. You saw him hopping around on Oasis and Leijing Tower several times. It’s always funny to see the other team have to track him down and kill him like having a fly in your food.

Was it me or did Hangzhou come out to some rap music entrance? Can we get on that bandwagon? Let’s get some Dropkick Murphys or something. Whatever it is we come out to just isn’t cutting it. There are some cool themes out there.

We see you Aimgod. He may not get the attention like Jjonak or get put on replay, but the flex support had some great picks this match. I also though he was brilliant in deploying his Transcendences tonight. He never got anxious and waited patiently to use it.

Looking Forward

After an exciting start to Stage 2, Boston took a step backward this week. They can’t take any of their matches for granted. Next week they face London and Vancouver. Obviously the still unbeaten Vancouver will be a tough match, but London shouldn’t be taken lightly. Last year’s champions are 3-0 this stage. I’m just as guilty as anyone as reading too much into the Stage 1 results. Boston needs a win to keep pace with everyone else if they’re going to make Stage 2 playoffs. Here’s hoping this was just a small misstep on a long road to bigger winnings.

For more weekly columns and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp

Uprising Stage 2 Week 2 Preview: Hangzhou Spark

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Friday, April 12th @ 8:45pm

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It’s week 2 of stage 2 and for some reason Boston has to play a game against the Hangzhou Spark. Hard to expect the Uprising to put on a show that lives up to the double reverse sweep they pulled against Atlanta and Toronto. I suppose we’ll have to settle for a stomping of the fun but unfortunately pink clad expansion team.

Yes, this should be a sweep. I don’t make predictions often but anything less than a sweep would be an upset. I said in my stage preview that Boston had to take care of business against the non Stage 1 playoff teams. That’s Hangzhou, LA Gladiators, London, and Washington. Do that, and Stage 2 playoffs is in the bag. Now that Atlanta and Toronto have run away licking their wounds, Stage 2 playoffs should be assumed. 

In fact, we need to look at what we can build from these near throw matchups. Let’s throw some crazy new comps out there. Let’s stick Blase on Baptiste in new and exciting ways. We can be the ones to show what this new hero can do. How about we drop Sombra for a week and let rCk pop off and show just how good a DVa he is. Colourhex should get perma locked on Widow just to put a nail on the whole ‘one match fluke’ fake news I’ve seen percolate around Reddit. Also, Fusions should roll, literally, Wrecking Ball all day. Give him some stage experience and show how good he can be in a post-GOATs meta. The Brit ain’t no one trick.

Basically this week should be nothing more than an exhibition showcase. Those trolls putting Boston outside the top 5 in their power rankings need to be put on blast. Never mind we’re 5th in the overall league standings. Forget how we just made the biggest in season trade in OWL history with Note/rCk. Don’t think about how we just body bagged two Stage 1 playoff teams. That when the pressure is highest, three times in a row now Boston has sacked up and laid waste to the other team

No, this match is about confidence building. About showing who runs this place. Building a reputation as the bad boys of Overwatch. And if three reverse sweeps in a row won’t do it, stuffing the pink colored Spark in a locker is a good start. 

Looking forward to the artwork though.

For more weekly columns and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp

Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 2 Week 1

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You have to give it to the Uprising – they do everything they can to make it interesting. Because after opening Stage 2 with a pair of reverse sweeps (3rd in a row in stage play) the entire league is catching on to the interesting story of of the Uprising. A team whose GM will make any roster change he can to better the team, fans be damned. A team full of players perceived to be ‘unknown’ or ‘unproven’ or ‘inexperienced.’ And a group who never says die and can’t be counted out till the last fuse of overtime burns out.

For a team whose mantra going into the season was Prove Them Wrong – they keep giving themselves plenty to prove. Fan favorite off tank Note was traded away for Dallas’ rCk days before Stage 2 started. How would the shakeup play out amidst a new meta? Had the team licked their wounds from having their Stage 1 playoff existence destroyed by the Vancouver Titans? Let’s take a look.

The Good

rCk

Before Stage 1 we traded fan-favorite Gamsu and brought up Fusions from Contenders. Uprising skeptics and haters had a field day. Boston dropped to the bottom of everyone’s power rankings. Then they make the playoffs and silence the critics. Well, can we do it again? Boston trades fan-favorite Note for Dallas Fuel’s rCk before Stage 2. Again, the skeptics and haters hold a vigil for Boston’s season. rCk – not as good a DVa as Note, they say. The team won’t be able to sync up in time for Atlanta and Toronto, they say. Could Boston possibly live up to the expectations they set in Stage 1?

With all that pressure on his shoulders, rCk delivered. Against Atlanta, he made himself a vacume all match against BabyBay’s Zarya, sucking up Gravitons left and right. Wait, wasn’t he supposed to be a subpar DVa? But there he was on Eichenwalde, just as the Reign were about to push the cart to victory. With Overtime on, his pick on Pokpo and a 2K Self-Destruct (when the rest of the Uprising were dead) that pushed the series to a 4th map. Note who?

Of course the Finn brought it on his Sombra. Against Atlanta and Toronto, rCk constantly harassed the backline players, dropped massive EMPs, and was the Sombra the Uprising always needed. With him on the team, Boston could afford a variety of team comps they never could have with Note. And it paid off. Farming EMP off health hacks and shooting down supports before Translocating, rCk seemingly always had an EMP when the Uprising needed it.

rCk’s stats against Atlanta

Against Atlanta, rCk made mincemeat of the Reign. If anything, I don’t think the rest of the Uprising are on the same wave length on capitalizing on the EMPs. They can get better with that given more time scrimming. rCk landed several EMPs that didn’t get the immediate team wipes you’d have expected. Look for this to become a more prominent weapon in the Uprising’s toolbox.

Colourhex

We knew the meta would get shaken up going into Stage 2, but we didn’t know how it’d play out. Turns out Boston had a smorgasbord of team comps ready to deploy. And none proved as effective as the different combinations that featured Colourhex on the Widowmaker. Now, this is a player many have been wondering about. His hitscan abilities were completely unknown as he’d been stuck on Zarya for Stage 1. The Australian region’s Overwatch scene has been a meme up to now, and many questioned the Uprising’s pickup of the Kiwi. With a DPS friendly meta – how would he do?

Well, turns out the guy can play. From his first switch onto Widow and picking off Atlanta’s sniper nlaaers (see above), we knew we were in for something special. In fact, especially against Toronto, Colourhex shoved that long-ass sniper rifle right down the Defiant’s throat. Clutch after clutch after clutch. Too many times we saw Atlanta and Toronto’s snipers lose their Widow duels, with Colourhex having free reign to pick off the other heroes.

Take a look back at Oasis against the Defiant. Boston had just forced a map 5 and were hungry for a third straight reverse sweep. With their vocal leader Fusions, and their new superstar stud rCk, it was Colourhex who popped off when it mattered the most. First, his 3k on Widow makes Toronto cower out of position. Then he switches over to Soldier 76 and picks off enough of the Defiant to help capture the stage. He showed his flexibility and hits can make him another in a long line of out-of-nowhere superstar pickups by Boston’s Huk.

Not that Colourhex was a one-trick. His Tracer’s Pule Bomb on Pokpo on Gibraltar clutched the win to force a 5th map. Same with his use of Pharah’s Barrage on Rialto, flanking Toronto’s Amplification Matrix on Rialto and forcing a 5th map. If Colourhex can keep up this level of play, the Overwatch League is about to get rolled by New Zealand’s only pro player.

The Bad

It wasn’t all sunshine and roses, though. You can’t get reverse sweeps without losing two maps straight, and Boston certainly handed them out to Atlanta and Toronto. How did it happen? For the first half against Atlanta, I saw a lot of ineffective GOATs play. Teams were still trying to feel out the meta change, and I think Boston wasn’t willing to stretch into unknown territory at first. The apprehension caught them against Atlanta. With Toronto, especially on Hanamura, they couldn’t deploy the set plays they should have had. A bunker comp of Bastion and Orissa held them too long on Point A on both laps through on offense. Boston is usually better at preparing against set defenses than this.

It’s also worth noting that Overwatch League changed the order of map types going into Stage 2. Hybrid maps go from the second map played to the third, swapping with assault. You can’t say that Boston is just better at hybrid/escort because they had to win a 2CP in sudden death. But it’s reasonable to say that the assault maps may not be Boston’s greatest strength.

Fusions

We all knew the Disney movie story going into Stage 2. Last minute Contenders call up turns into a top tank player. Leads the team to many victories. Last minute reverse sweep to make Stage 1 playoffs. Hero rides off into the sunset. Roll the credits. But would the sequel be a bomb or could it live up to the original?

I think we have to give it a push. Throughout the matches against the Defiant and Reign, it seemed Boston forced themselves back to the Rein-GOATs well, and the well was dry. Trying to recapture the magic was commendable, but ineffective. There weren’t any great Earthshatters, and his hammer swings didn’t push back the other teams. Atlanta especially seemed to focus on him, going so far as to play a Mei on Temple to split him from the rest of Boston. He didn’t respond well to that type of pressure.

Instead, I think we saw he did much better on Hammond. Getting timely swings to push players off the points, helping snowball Point B on Hanamura, dropping the mines to stall the defenses. A new meta forces new strategies. Though he was passable in both series, I think it will be an adjustment for the Brit to get to the level he was at in Stage 1.

The Uprising

There are other performances that have to get their due in a week that saw two reverse sweeps. Blasé was clutch on a variety of heroes in both games. He pulled out a Roadhog, Pharaoh, Tracer, and Brigitte, amongst others, when the team needed it. Him pushing Point B with Fusion’s Hammond after an Overtime cap on Point A on Hanamura was key to the snowball. His hero pool seems wider than anyone ever expected.

Babybay pumping up the crowd after Atlanta went up 1-0 has got to be a meme somewhere. The Shock’s former bench player seemed a bit premature in his celebration – you hate to see that.

Don’t sleep on Aimgod. No, he didn’t need to play back to avoid the EMPs like he did on Stage 1, but his Ana/Zen play was crucial. On Oasis (and really throughout the Toronto match) he seemed to get the sleep darts at the most clutch times. When Toronto’s Solider 76 had his Attack Visor and it looked like Boston would get wiped from the point, Aimgod’s sleep dart put that dream to bed.

Boston is the first team to get three straight reverse sweeps. These boys know how to play under pressure. Toronto, specifically, looked absolutely devastated when they got stomped on Rialto and realized they were going to sudden death. That ability to play when the pressure is the highest will go a long way for the Uprising. With so many weapons on their roster, Boston is going to be a dangerous team moving forward. Never say die. And don’t ever turn off the TV until the final tick.

Player of the Week

Absolutely no way you can split up rCk and Colourhex. They both were pog champ in the Atlanta and Toronto matches. The Overwatch League is on notice.

For more weekly columns and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp

Boston Uprising’s Watch Party in Worcester, MA:

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Going into Thursday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Reign, the Boston Uprising looked to come out strong in the first week of stage 2. On the other side of the country, Boston Uprising’s staff were similarly looking to come out strong with their first watch party in Worcester, MA. While the team had hosted two standing room only watch parties in downtown Boston (and one in Foxboro) – Worcester was the team’s first foray outside of the Boston metropolitan area. Would Uprising fans come out hyped to support their team outside of Boston?

Their was certainly an eclectic mix of characters at the Compass Tavern in Worcester, MA. College students rubbed shoulders with a dad and his teenage son. A young man, clearly dragging his girlfriend to the event, donned a custom Uprising jersey for the night’s festivities. A young woman, clad in a bright DVa sweatshirt, sat awestruck as the broadcast began. But why does the Uprising organize these events and try to get fans to come out for something they can watch at home?

I spoke with Julia Pagliarulo, Media Relations Coordinator for the Kraft Group (owners of the New England Patriots, New England Revolution, and Boston Uprising). For the organization, these watch parties serve as both marketing and community development. “We’re a new team and we’re trying to spread brand awareness and let people know about the team” she said. Watch parties have an added benefit of getting fans more engaged with the team. Looking at the fans that had turned out, Julia said, “fans having the opportunity to come out and support the team fosters a strong fan community and means a lot to the team themselves.” Nearly every attendee sported an Uprising hat, shirt, or other apparel. The night had clearly drawn fans that were all dialed in.

Fans got plenty for themselves coming out for the event, too. A banner being sent straight to the team was available for fans to sign. Plenty of posters, sunglasses, and stickers were free for attendees. Lastly, fans had a diverse array of standees and cutouts to use at a free selfie station. If that wasn’t enough, the night’s national broadcast cut to the party just before halftime.

So why did the Kraft Group pick Worcester to host an event?

“We thought having several colleges in the area – WPI, Worcester State, Clark, and being easily accessible made it a great spot” Julia said. While New England is rife with college towns, expanding into western MA was the Uprising’s first priority. Not that the Kraft Group isn’t interested in towns outside Massachusetts. “We don’t want anyone to be too far from a watch party” she said.

What role do watch parties play in fostering a fan base that the Kraft group hopes will turn out for a 14-game regular season home schedule?

“We really want to support the fan’s engagement and hope by giving opportunities like this more and more fans will commit to supporting the team” Julia said. Boston, like every other team in the league, has to foster a fan base they hope will fill whatever arena the Uprising play in. Getting the fans out, meeting each other, and interacting with the players and staff is a great start.

Fans who came out Thursday night were treated with an exciting match against the Atlanta Reign. After going down 0-2, the Uprising came out of halftime and pushed it to a fifth map. Coming out to meet up with other fans, with the rest of the place emptied out, on a weekday night, and the clock hitting 10:30pm, the Uprising faithful were rewarded. Boston completed the reverse sweep and started Stage 2 with a perfect record. With that type of momentum, the future looks bright for both the Uprising and their fan community.

On the way out, I spoke with a father I had seen all night having the game thoroughly explained to him by his teenage son. I asked him – what did you think of the night?

“I don’t completely understand everything that happened, but it was exciting. [My son] had a great time and it was nice being a part of it with him” he told me.

Would you come out again?

“Oh yeah. He wants to go to a home game next year and after tonight, I told him I’d go with him” he replied.

After Boston’s fans turned out for a well-received watch party, it’s hard not to think something special is happening. The team has the fan community to do something special, especially once home matches start.

You could even call it an Uprising.

Uprising Stage 2 Week 1 Preview: Reign and Defiant

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Thursday, April 4th @ 11 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Atlanta Reign

After a whirlwind Tuesday it’s become even more unclear what to expect this opening week of Stage 2. First, Persia becomes the team’s fourth support player. Second, Note has been shipped off to Dallas in exchange for rCk. Lastly, Overwatch’s next balance patch continues to distort what the meta will be. In short, the tea leaves ain’t any easier to read. Here’s a shot in the dark.

Roster moves

Persia

The first roster change this week that Boston pulled off was signing off-support Persia. A peculiar move. Boston already has Kellex, Aimgod, and Alemao. Aimgod has earned several player of the matches (or at least been in the running). Kellex has mained Lucio nearly all Stage 1. Lastly, Alemao has had little stage time. It’s a bit strange to pick up another support. Not out of line – many teams have a full compliment of two whole 6 player squads on their roster. But knowing Huk, you see a move like this and start counting the days till some former diamond in the rough he bought low on gets sold high at top dollar.

Note

One of the Uprising’s few remaining OGs, Note was having by all accounts a great season. His nose for sniffing out supports amidst team fights has been mentioned by many casters. While I’ve taken issue a bit with the zoning and pick off efficacy of his Self Destructs, the Canadien has proven he play at a pro level.  Sure, his inability to flex to a Sombra like other DVa players league wide may have limited Boston’s team comps. But, his coordination with Fusions and peeling for the back line made him an effective player.

Trying to read into Huk’s thinking on this move is a fool’s errand. Clearly, the man has some balls. Note is probably the biggest fan favorite outside of Fusions. After trading away Gamsu earlier this season, Huk is showing no one is indispensable. It seems to me Note’s inability to flex onto Sombra limited Boston throughout Stage 1 and that was enough to force a move.

Note’s one-note hero useage in Stage 1 (I know, horrible pun)

Personally, I’ll miss Note. You could tell the kid had such an upbeat energy to him. Boston seemed to be a great fit for the off-tank. Thinking back, his leadership was a big part of the Uprising’s undefeated stage last year as the dive comps played around him. I hope to see him continue to pop off down in Dallas.

rCk

Well, what did we get for everyone’s favorite Canuck? Enter rCk, last seen hitting Uprising players with EMPs like fish in a barrel. Huk must be thinking if you can’t beat em, join em. I imagine the week 5 contest that went to a fifth map impressed Huk enough to seek a trade. 

rCk’s stats headed into his match against BU in week 5

Obviously we should all expect some Sombra comps this stage and beyond. rCk is an impressive Sombra player and a more than serviceable DVa. Boston may have gotten the better end of the deal if he can play as effectively in both roles.

rCk nearly split time perfectly between DVa & Sombra in Stage 1

Meta changes

No one knows for sure what teams comps we’ll see in Stage 2 until it starts. But, the news of GOATs death is greatly exaggerated. Lucio’s speed nerf may reduce Rein to specific map comps, but there’s no reason to think Winston 3-3 comps won’t pick up the slack. Additionally, none of the dps nerfs make them more viable than a high hp, shield boosting, stun disbursing Brigitte.

That’s not to say we shouldn’t see some exciting team comps out there. Everyone loved it when we saw a Widow or Tracwr last stage, and expect to see a more diverse array of heroes picked. I just think metas die slow in the face of small buffs, and nerfs handed out across all heroes. Players and coaches are risk averse and more likely to stick with what they’re comfortable with. Boston hasn’t been known for their experimentation either – so expect some 3-3 from the Uprising.

But let’s not forget the new hero Baptiste. His Immortality Field is a potential game changer. Will we see him deployed early or will he be a map and situational dependent hero? Look for the teams eager to experiment and shake up the meta to give the new hero his first pro level appearance. 

Matchups

Thursday – Atlanta Reign

While Boston has arguably the most last minute roster moves of anyone, don’t ignore what’s happening with Atlanta. Famous Overwatch streamer turned pro Dafran…. is returning to streaming. Despite being the top seller in player jerseys, and making the most pog play of the season, it’s likely the stress of the pro life that drove him away.

Well, Atlanta didn’t waste anytime. They picked up Baby Bay from SF. Shock’s former stud DPS player has been riding the bench all season, so predicting what he can do given his time off and the new meta is difficult enough. Additionally, just as this column was going to print Atlanta tweeted out they signing frd, a tank player from the LA Gladiator’s Contenders team. Why not have even more last minute changes? What could go wrong!

Sunday – Toronto Defiant

Boston’s second matchup of the week is against Toronto. You’ll recall the last time these two played, Neko, Boston’s former off-support, was spraying the Uprising logo every pick he got. He and Bumper – archvillains of the Uprising. Well, nothing would be more satisfying than seeing Boston steamroll the fellow Stage 1 playoff team.

Public enemy #1

Last time Boston was trounced 3-1. There were some bright spots. Boston pulled a C9 on Anubis. They pushed it to a map 4 down 2-0 at halftime. Toronto got full held on offense. That was fun. But generally, Toronto had their way with the Uprising that match. That was then and this is now. There’s a new meta out there. New players. New stage. The past is not the present.

Also, Toronto didn’t want to be left behind in the last second roster changes. On Tuesday, Toronto’s coach Don left the team and on Wednesday their DPS starter Stellar retired. Hey if everyone’s doing, why not them? Of course, Stellar was the Defiant’s Brigitte main, posting a 27/28 KD in his match against Boston. That leaves Toronto with just 7 active players on the roster – good luck with that.

Thoughts

We’re not sure where Persia fits into the team, so let’s just pretend that didn’t happen for now eh? But let’s look at the Note and rCk trade. First, let’s look at the data. Note played on DVa nearly twice as long as rCk, but many of the per 10 minute stats are close. You can see some symmetry in that Note has the edge in FK (First Kills – 12% vs. 10%) but drops in FD (First Deaths – 3% vs. 2.8%). That slight discrepancy gets a bit more spread out when you look at F3K (First Three Kills) and F3D (First Three Deaths). Note may be getting more of those first 3 kills, but he pays for it in dying in one of the first 3 spots.

What the data shows to me is these two are comprable DVas. There’s no case to be made that one is supremely better than the other. But, one can swap to the Sombra and the other can’t. That is an entirely different weapon in the arsenal of the Uprising. Why wouldn’t Boston want to equip themselves with as many tools as possible?

Not that the rCk and Note switch is all that there is to worry about. Given the rumors that have swirled the last few weeks about Fusions, it’s likely we’re going to see a change in the tank line. Axxiom, better known as a Winston main, is likely to get some additional playtime this Stage. Whether he’ll trade off/on with Fusions/Rein based on matchup or map remains to be seen. It’ll be an interesting storyline going into the first week.

There are roster changes across the league, with Boston, and both their opponents this week. A meta change will shift the landscape of the league. Questions abound again whether Huk just traded away the team’s best player. Sounds familiar. And so we have a familiar response.

https://twitter.com/BostonUprising/status/1096133294876327936

For more weekly columns and gameday banter, follow Loadscr33n on Twitter #BostonUp

Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 1 Review

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New to Overwatch? Get caught up on everything Overwatch League by reading our introduction.

Finally, the Overwatch League resumes after a week long break between stages. We saw the Vancouver Titans complete their Stage 1 undefeated streak and win the stage title. Will anyone be able to dethrone the seemingly unbeatable expansion team?

To answer that, we have to look at how Overwatch will be played in Stage 2. We saw in Stage 1 a dominance of the meta by the 3-3 composition (known as GOATs). Players, fans, and casters all seemingly disliked this high health, teamwork, and ultimate focused gameplay. Fortunately, Blizzard’s latest patch is an all-out assault on the GOATs meta. Handing out buffs and nerfs like candy on Halloween, predicting the meta going forward is challenging given the plethora of changes. Additionally, the introduction of the new support character, Baptiste, will contribute to a new meta for Stage 2.

Could a drastic meta change shakeup the league? Yes and no. While we may see some changes in the middle and lower tiers, let’s not fool ourselves about how the league is stacked. Last season we saw little change at the top tier when Mercy was nerfed and the dive meta became prominent. It’s unlikely we’ll see top tier teams (NYXL, Vancouver, SF) dramatically drop in the standings. But that’s not to say that any other team’s strengths/weaknesses won’t be exposed. What can we expect for the Boston Uprising?

The Good

After a tumultuous offseason and start of the year, Boston’s roster seems to have settled down. Gamsu’s last minute trade to Shanghai may have seemed earthshattering (no pun intended) – but Boston’s main tank position seems secure. Fusions has broken into the Overwatch League and garnered universal acclaim. Between him and off-tank veteran Note, Boston has every reason to feel confident about their tank line.

Fusion’s contract fiasco (and Boston’s subsequent loss to Shanghai) notwithstanding, Boston’s management has proven adept at plugging holes in the roster. Though they’ve been doubted at the start of each season, Boston consistently finds undervalued and capable players. We may not know how the meta will play out in Stage 2 and beyond. What we do know is if Boston finds itself unequipped for a new meta, the management knows where to look. Huk, President of Gaming for the Uprising, is an unmatched scout. Time and time again he’s been able to find the right player for this team. There’s no legitimate reason to doubt him now.

The Bad

A reasonable take going into Stage 2 is there are a lot of unknowns. We haven’t seen Blase or Colourhex play DPS. They’ve been stuck on Birgitte and Zarya, respectively, during Stage 1. We can look at their past performances to get a hint. Blase, at least on Twitter, has professed his love for Doomfist and other twitch centered heroes. Colourhex is known as a projectile focused DPS with a hero pool centered on Genji and Pharah. Without a clear hitscan gifted DPS, it is possible Boston could find themselves without a central cog of the new meta. There are already plenty of rumors that Boston is addressing this. Expect this to be the main storyline of Stage 2 for the team.

The Uprising

Landing in the Stage 1 playoffs was a notable achievement for a team seemingly scrutinized by everyone. But let’s not get complacent. A new meta is a new opportunity for teams to reinvent themselves. Teams that did poorly Stage 1 (London, LA Gladiators) will be hungry to upset a Stage 1 playoff team like Boston. Conversely, Boston gets an opportunity for revenge against Toronto and Vancouver this stage. Plenty of reasons to tune in week-to-week.

Another reason to be excited by Stage 2 is the schedule. Of the 7 teams Boston plays, only 3 were in the Stage 1 playoffs. Only 1 team over .500 didn’t make the playoffs last stage (sorry not sorry Dallas). If Boston can take care of business against the likes of Hangzhou, London, LAG, and Washington, they will be comfortably in the running for Stage 2 playoffs. They’ll have an opportunity to prove their gusto with matches against Atlanta, Toronto, and a redemption shot with Vancouver. Any win against one of those three will go a long way towards moving Uprising into the upper tier of the league.

Week 1’s matchup will be interesting. With Atlanta’s fan-favorite Dafran announcing his retirement, the Reign may be ripe for the feasting. Hopefully Atlanta feeds and Boston can start Stage 2 with a strong rebound from their loss to Vancouver.

We also should hope to see a bit of the Uprising’s bench players – Alemao and Axxiom. Both players are known in the community as more than capable in their roles (Lucio and Winston, respectively). If we see Boston want to changeup their team comps and strategy, hopefully both players will receive an opportunity to shine.

New meta. New teams to play against. A clean slate to work towards a Stage 2 title. Season standings still up in the air. Questions at the DPS position. There is plenty going on for the Uprising. Which is to say they still have that opportunity to PROVE. THEM. WRONG.

https://twitter.com/BostonUprising/status/1096133294876327936

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Shotcaller

MONDAY MORNING SHOTCALLER: STAGE 1 PLAYOFFS

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After a difficult Stage 1, the Boston Uprising showed they are in the top tier of the Overwatch League and surprised everyone by making it into the Stage 1 playoffs. Let’s start with some hype.

https://twitter.com/LoadScr33n/status/1107855199396392960

As teams came out the hype was at a fever pitch. Titans marched in to a sea of boos from the Blizzard Arena crowd. After Seoul had just made the year’s biggest upset yet by taking down the NYXL, anything seemed possible. What did Boston have to do to take this match?

As outlined in my preview, the fight would come down to the Bumper/Fusions match. Both teams mirror each other in how they live or die off the success of their main tank. If you look at the stats, the biggest difference is that win rate after first death. Boston only wins 10% of their team fights when Fusions got picked first compared to 25% for Vancouver. That’s an astronomical difference. Clearly Boston would have to prevent the focus on Fusions, rebuff Bumper’s aggression, and work their other advantages.

Additionally, Boston had other win conditions they’d need to meet. Note would have to keep finding those backline support players to pick off. Taking a Zen or Lucio out was key to many of the Uprising’s success this stage. Also, Boston would need to keep their own supports alive. Lastly, would Boston change up their team comps? Would they play like Gengzhou or Chengdu did and play off the 3-3 comp to catch Vancouver off guard? We’d find out pretty quickly about all of these.

Ilios

Boston’s Stage 1 playoffs began with Aimgod getting picked off to start a snowball just outside their spawn. That initial exchange would portend the match’s dynamics. Fusions goes down first the next fight, leading Vancouver to snowball. In their third push, Boston picked off Bumper first, giving them their first cap. Boston did their own spawn camp, holding Vancouver back for some valuable point time. After giving back the point, Boston had one last push. Holding an ultimate advantage, Boston seemed poised for a round 1 upset. Instead, Kellex ran past the team fight to back-cap. While it was effective, the rest of the Uprising couldn’t hold Vancouver. After an Uprising team wipe, Vancouver returned to the point, capped, and won the round 100% – 99%.

Overwatch League fans all were put on alert that the Uprising weren’t going down without a fight. On the next round, Lighthouse, Boston came out with – a Junkrat? Wrecking Ball? Ana and Sombra? Now in my preview I said that Boston had to break the popular 3-3 if they wanted to emulate the Gengzhou and Chengdu strats that worked against Vancouver. Well, sounds like someone over there is listening. With Blase spamming grenades as Junkrat, Boston got a first pick off Bumper and caught the Titans off guard. Boston was unable to keep Vancouver on their heels and switched off when down 29% – 66%. Sadly, it was too late. Having to reset their ultimates cost them dearly, as Vancouver popped off to win the round and map 29% – 100%.

Kings Row

Boston came out on KR unafraid of Vancouver

In the first team fight, Fusions and Bumper both die first – but Titans are the ones able to roll Boston and push back to spawn on Point A. It’s almost like that stat I mentioned (team win rate after tank’s death) would matter. Unfortunately, Boston couldn’t get anything out of their next push as Vancouver picked off Fusions first and wiped Boston. Fortunately, Aimgod had his blinders on in the next push as he spotted Bumper camping with a sneaky Earthshatter loaded up. From there, Fusions ran a great charge into Colourhex’s Graviton that not only picked the Birgitte, but left space for Note to pick off two with his Self Destruct. Point A for Boston.

Vancouver again attempted a stealthy trick play, but Boston responded with a complete team wipe. Boston was unable to turn the final corner to Point B after several fights of dumping ultimates and not getting any picks. Things didn’t look good for Boston.

Back on defense, Boston had a tall task. Vancouver barely had to get over halfway through Point B. Unfortunately, the Titans roll Point A. This whole push was caused by JJanu mimicking Note by going for a backline pick off of Aimgod’s Zenyatta. With that, Boston backs off and cedes Point A to Vancouver. It didn’t get much better. Uprising couldn’t withstand the well-timed support ults of Vancouver. Additionally, Bumper took some time to let the Uprising know just what he thought of them. Not that Boston had anything to respond with. Vancouver continued their push and easily won the second map.

Ouch

Temple of Anubis

Going into halftime, Boston was down 2-0. Would the coaches push the off 3-3 team comp? Could Note be coached into finding Twilight in the backline? Would Boston stop getting the first death so often in team fights? They wouldn’t have long to turn it around.

Offense

Bumper started with the Winston on defense, likely expecting some strange comp from Boston. They don’t oblige, though. Boston runs the 3-3 but with the pounces and Zarya bubbles, Bumper farms his ultimate and unleashes a Primal Rage that wipes the Uprising out during their first push. Next, Boston pushed with the ultimate advantage against Vancouver, but to no effect. Again, Aimgod gets picked first and Vancouver gets the snowball. How about a third try? Sadly, Boston gets wiped after Fusions falls to a Self Destruct and Graviton snowballs the rest of the squad. Perhaps the pressure got to Boston at this point, as the next push ended early with Kellex falling first and the team getting rolled.

The night is darkest just before the dawn, and that’s what we saw with Boston’s offense. With a quick pick on Seominsoo, Kellex went for a backcap that split the Titans. Colourhex, on Widow, gets a nice snipe kill, and Boston prevented what would have been an embarrassing full hold. Colourhex switched back onto Zarya and Boston charged forward, looking for a snowball. They got on the point and started getting picks and time on the point, but not enough. Vancouver was able to keep a stagger long enough to stop the cap. A second push went the same way. Lastly, on a third try, Boston spotted Bumper trying to get the sneaky shatter again and made him pay. Unfortunately, they couldn’t snowball the Titans from being shorthanded and were repelled. Vancouver gave up two ticks but were able to hold.

Defense

On defense, Boston was at least able to hold off the first push from Vancouver. Next, Bumper was picked first, causing another Uprising team kill. Keeping up the momentum, Boston was able to win a team fight highlighted by both team’s Rallies, Self-Destructs, and Graviton Surges. That was it for Point A though. Boston used all their support ults a bit too early and Vancouver pushed aggressively enough with their Sound Barrier to get the first cap.

Boston prevented a quick snowball on Point B and was actually able to hold off a few pushes from Vancouver. Unfortunately, with the spector of the 3 map sweep hanging over them and the Titan’s aggression, Boston eventually ceded. Round, map, and match – Vancouver.

Analysis

The Good

You have to love the tenacity of the Uprising. Down 2-0 in the match and knocking on the door of being full held on Anubis, most teams may have folded. Colourhex flexing onto Widow, Boston using their ults strategically, and Boston gets Point A. Next, the snowball attempts and subsequent pushes were pretty great. No, they didn’t get Point B. But the pushes were some of their best of the whole match and you just have to tip your cap to Vancouver. While the results of the map may not have been what you wanted, Boston fans have to know this is not a team that collapses under the worst pressure.

I respect that the coaches were willing to go off the 3-3 for at least a single stage. Using a Junkrat, Pharah, Wrecking Ball, and Ana comp in Stage playoffs is a bold move. If anything, I wish they’d have experimented more. Vancouver is clearly the kings of 3-3 and trying to win in a mirror matchup may have been shortsighted. Perhaps getting repelled so hard made Boston over correct too much.

The Bad

Why did Boston pick King’s Row when they’re 0-2 going into it? How did you not go with Dorado (2-1), Rialto (1-1), or Route 66 (1-1-0)? There’s no excuse for this poor decision making.

Bumper’s greatest strength is not just shot calling, coordinating his shields, and getting his charge, swing, and shot picks, but helping his team. We saw a lot of the Titans getting the first pick and Bumper dropping the Earth Shatter. Not because they needed it, but to set up his teammates to farm ultimate off the vulnerable Uprising and be set for the next fight. Boston had no answer for him.

However, Bumper’s arrogance on King’s Row with this taunt has put him on a short list of Uprising enemies. His aggressive attempts at getting sneaky Earthshatters shows a level of disrespect.

Without the detailed stats I’m trusting my own observations to confirm Note couldn’t kill Twilight’s Zenyatta all day long. That is not only uncharacteristic, but lethal. With Vancouver having discords at their dispense, that sneaky level of health and nerfs didn’t help Boston’s cause. Seeing as Aimgod got picked off first several times throughout the match, Twilight’s near immortality may have been the motor that fueled Vancouver’s win.

The Uprising

What can we take away from this? It’s been an up-and-down Stage 1 for Boston. Despite all their issues though, they snuck into the Stage 1 playoffs. Most teams would be happy with that. But they came up against the strongest 3-3 team in the league. Vancouver has been playing this comp since last year’s Contender season 3. Losing to them was nothing if not unexpected.

Stage 2 is a new world. So many new buffs, nerfs, changes, and a new hero (Baptiste) will change the way the game is played. No one (especially Vancouver) will have the advantage of playing in the new meta. It’ll be a wild wild west. We saw plenty off great DPS play from Boston throughout the stage and even in this match. Uprising fans should be excited for what’s coming. You can tell the players are:


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Uprising Stage 1 Playoff Preview

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Thursday, March 21th @ 11 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Vancouver Titans

After an epic reverse sweep against the Dallas Fuel last Thursday and getting some help from other teams around the league, Boston has secured the 8th seed. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, they have to play the undefeated and top seeded Vancouver Titans. You’ll be hard pressed to find any pundit giving the Uprising a prayer. If you’re drinking the Kool-Aid on Boston, how do you chart a path to victory? Let’s take a look.

It’s High Noon

It may be Vancouver’s first season in the league, but you wouldn’t know it by the way they’ve performed. The former Contenders Korea Champions have run roughshod over the rest of the league. For example, they’ve already gotten three 4-0 sweeps, more than any other team in the league. Records don’t tell the whole story, as the Titans reign supreme statistically, too. Jjanu and SeoMinSoo are the top two players in eliminations per 10 minutes across the league of players with at least 5 hours of playtime, while Jjanu is also second in lowest number of deaths. Obviously, Jjanu is a force to be reckoned with, and someone the Uprising need to prepare for if they want to win. As an off-tank, Jjanu has been knowing for his aggressive pokes and timely self-destructs. How can Boston counter that?

Any path to victory against Vancouver will come through team compositions. Guangzhou and Chengdu each took the Titans to a 5th game. How did they do it?

Stats courtesy of Winston Labs
Stats courtesy of Winston Labs

Both teams were willing to go against the 3-3 meta. That first pic is from Vancouver’s match against Guangzhou, and shows the Charge’s hero usage during the matchup. Here we saw some of the most prominent use of Ana across Stage 1. Those Nanoboosts and Biotic Grenades were devastating to the Titans, and showed they were caught off guard. Next, we see the hero lineup for the Chengdu Hunters. Known for their off-meta play, Chengdu employed some of the highest usage of Hammond and Mercy we’ve seen this season. Though both teams relied on the 3-3 across their matches against Vancouver, it is clear that their boldness in team composition factored into their success.

What does this mean for Boston? Last week against Dallas we saw a flash of brilliance in off-meta play. For example, Note’s brief time on Tracer and Colourhex’s head turning switch to Widow suggest this team can play DPS. Will the Uprising’s coaches go wild? Will Blasé be stuck on Birgitte the whole match, or could he and Colourhex be put on a DPS? Well, it seems to me if Boston wants to win they have to do something crazy. Fortune favors the bold.

Justice Rains From Above

In contrast to team composition, the maps don’t portend as much potential for the Uprising. As the specific map sequence hasn’t been revealed, we can only look at game type. Unfortunately, Vancouver’s dominance and the small sample size of Stage 1 doesn’t indicate any advantage for Boston. Sure, there’s a bit of a statistical edge on escort mode – but don’t hang your hat on that.

Boston UprisingVancouver Titans
Control42%
3 – 0 – 4		88%
7 – 0 – 1
Hybrid67%
4 – 0 – 2		83%
5 – 0 – 1
Assault
60%
3 – 1 – 2		100%
5 – 1 – 0
Escort60%
3 – 1 – 2		50%
3 – 0 – 3

Besides maps and team composition, let’s look at play style. Vancouver’s star tank player, Bumper, is known as one of the most aggressive tanks in the league. How will Boston’s own aggro Rein, Fusions, play? Fusions could scream himself to death shot calling, but it will be for naught if he doesn’t have support. Boston has looked weak when Fusions gets picked first, and needs to make sure he gets the Zarya bubbles and Orbs of Harmony to sustain him. We may find out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in Bumper and Fusions. Someone will flinch. And the whole match may rest on it.

Prediction

Given the team’s preseason power rankings, trades, contract signings, and player suspensions, it’s nothing short of a miracle that Boston made the playoffs. From pushing the NYXL to the brink in opening night, to giving Shanghai their first win, the Uprising’s season has been an emotional roller coaster. Is it fair to expect them to take out the seemingly dominant Vancouver? Nope. Not at all. As a result, what can we reasonably hope to see? Ideally, I want to see some flexibility. If Boston runs GOATS and it isn’t working, will they have make adjustments on the fly? Can they run some DPS in the mix, put in an off-support or off-tank hero? Or is the team stuck behind a rigid structure of preset plays and prepared strats? To me this is one of the fundamental questions Boston has yet to answer all season.

That said I think we shouldn’t go in expecting the worse. Even in a GOATS v. GOATS matchup, Boston has plenty to feel good about. Note has quietly become a support assassin. Problem is he always pops off in the midst of the fight, which makes it hard to see on the broadcast. But he’s been on top of his game. Additionally, Aimgod has also flown under the radar as a star Zenyatta main this stage. Can he hope to keep it up and make a name on the biggest stage of the year? That’s what I’ll be looking for. We know this team is resilient (see Fuel, Dallas) so don’t count them out until the end. This team has always been full of surprises.

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Shotcaller

Monday Morning Shotcaller: Stage 1 Week 5

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After an up and down start to the 2019 season, the Boston Uprising enter the final week of stage 1 with their playoff hopes still alive. While the hypotheticals are too much to go through, beating Dallas would certainly be a good first step. With Dallas playing well recently, many doubted the Uprising’s chances. Specifically, the Fuel have rCk on their roster – a well known Sombra player.

Boston had a lot of things that needed to go right if they were going to win. They’d have to keep Kellex and Aimgod out of EMP range with their ults ready to launch. Fusions, the vocal leader of the team, had to keep his aggressive style going and get the picks that the team needed. Lastly, Note would have to continue hunting down support players in the midst of battle to turn the tide of team fights. That’s a lot to keep together – how’d they do?

Ilios

Dallas unsurprisingly puts rCk on Sombra. He farms his ult impressively quick and hits his first EMP onto 5 Uprising players. Also, Fusions died first in first in the first three team fights – he either is gagging horribly or Dallas clearly is focusing him. Sadly, Boston gets rolled horribly and loses 100% – 10%.

After the devastation that rCk unleashed, Dallas oddly chose to put him on DVa. While a close back-and-forth happened all match, Boston was able to get timely picks and flex their strengths without the specter of an EMP. Boston wins 100% – 94%.

With rCk back on Sombra, the Uprising’s anxiety had to be shooting on all cylinders. As a result, the first EMP gets all 6 Boston players as rCk jumps down from the high point near Boston’s spawn. Dallas continued to spawn camp for a bit, but eventually Boston pushes through. Note gets a nice double kill with his Self-Destruct, as well as picking rCk to help cap the point. Using his second EMP, rCk hits everyone but Aimgod. This is that moment Boston needed – Aimgod hits Transcendence. Unfortunately, Fusions gets picked before he can close the gap and Dallas uses that to snowball the point, winning the map 100% – 83%.

Kings Row

After an impressive first map, rCk starts map 2 back on the Sombra. With his first EMP, he hits all 6 Uprising players leading to a team wipe. Next EMP, Aimgod finds himself out of range again but is unable to save Fusions in time. An ugly pattern developing for Boston. After another team wipe by Dallas, main tank OGE t-bags after Note’s baby DVas gets staggered. Suddenly OGE is aiming to join Neko as most hated player in OWL for Uprising fans. Boston falls to another EMP but is able to cap Point A only after Overtime. It becomes clear at this point that Dallas is focusing Fusions, who gets picked first in quite a few team fights. Sadly, Boston gets it to the tip of the final point but is unable to complete.

In what is quickly becoming a pattern, Fusions is the first picked on Boston’s defense. Fortunately, Aimgod gets a pick on Zarya that delays Dallas. rCk’s first EMP hits all but Aimgod, but again Fusions is picked off before the Transcendence can save him. Boston falls prey to the EMP over and over again, with small glimmers of hope when Kellex and Aimgod get an evade here or there. Unfortunately, Boston gets rolled, but not before Kellex goes to the Widow in desperation and gets a sick double kill. At least there was that – but no win.

Volskaya

Down 2-0 going into halftime, Boston needed to continue their dominance on Volskaya where they are 11-1-1 all time. Aimgod starts it off with a great pick out of nowhere on rCK! Boston gets a quick Point A cap and snowballs it into a quick Point B cap. Uprising finish with 5:44 time bank when rCk hits the EMP when Aimgod already had Transcendence running. Whoops. See for yourself:

On defense, Boston delays pretty well considering Dallas got a lot of picks on their second team push. Between a Sound Barrier then Transcendence, they hold for awhile past a big EMP from rCk. Interestingly, Note picks of rCk in a panic switch to Tracer during a stagger attempt. The stagger extends on Point B when Kellex avoids another EMP and gets a Sound Barrier to sustain the team. Boston eventually succumbs to the pressure but docks Dallas’ time considerably.

Back on defense, Note starts the round off with an aggressive pick on OGE seemingly out of nowhere. Dallas seems to be on the cusp of capping Point A, with Kellex bunny hopping around looking for a boop in hilarious fashion. Dallas secures Point A with only 20 seconds left. Aimgod gets a huge pick on rCk right before he uses the EMP on Point B that helps steamroll Dallas and prevents them from getting a pick.

Back on offense, Boston needs Point A and a tick on Point B to keep their hopes alive. rCk gets a big EMP on Point A that hits everyone but Aimgod, who doesn’t have the Transcendence ready. After a steamroll and back on a team push, Dallas wins a fight without the EMP. On their third push and down on ults, RCK drops an EMP immediately which hits everyone. Despite their time advantage going into the round, things start looking bad for the Uprising. Note’s seemingly misdirected Self Destruct gives Boston positional advantage to win a team fight and get Point A. Good timing allows a nice snowball on Point B to win the map.

Dorado

Hoping to get a reverse sweep, Boston started Dorado on offense. Pushing the cart nearly to Point A, rCk hits an EMP on all Uprising players for a team swipe. This delays the cap on Point A. He hits a second EMP on all 6 Boston players again halfway through to Point B that Dallas sweeps. Fusions hits a great Earth Shatter in aggressive fashion that snowballs to a Dallas team swipe, leading to a Point B cap. In one of the more heated exchanges, Fusions blocks one Earth Shatter and hits one of his own on 4 Dallas players to start the push towards Point C. Kellex drops the Sound Barrier early as the cart rounds the final corner. The risky move pays off when rCk launches the EMP that the Uprising push through to cap the final point.

Needing to get the cart through to the end to win the series, Dallas had a tall task. Unfortunately, Boston answered the bell. Aimgod continually hunted down rCK. When the EMP came up, the Uprising had a Transcendence or Sound Barrier ready to pop off. By the end of the round, Boston had pulled off a full hold on Point A – and WE’RE ONTO A FINAL MAP!

Nepal

In a winner-takes-all final map, Dallas gets the first cap but only reaches 9% before the Uprising sweeps them off the point. Aimgod gets a double kill on the formerly t-bagging OGE and unkoe, repelling the Dallas push. Boston easily wins 100% – 9%.

With their backs against the wall, Dallas response. After losing the first fight, the Uprising have to wait for Note to remech outside the point. This costs them significant time, especially when they get swiped just as they start a push. Fusions hits a huge double kill with the Primal Rage as Dallas tries to cap the point. Going into Overtime down, Boston tags onto the point several times but not enough to make up for the ult disadvantage. Dallas wins the stage 100% – 90%.

With 4 maps down and 2 stages past, it all comes down to this. Boston reaches the point first and plays footsies with Dallas. Once OGE becomes the first death, Boston snowballs for the team kill and cap. rCk’s first EMP hits all 6 Uprising players. Interestingly, Boston all but gives up – jumping off the stage and giving the point to Dallas. Going into the next team fight, Boston has all 6 ults with Dallas having the 5 non-EMP ults. Boston wins the fight and retakes the point. In the next team fight, Boston’s remaining ults put them at the advantage which they use to earn the team wipe. In a final frenzy, Dallas rushes the point. Even with an EMP, Boston keeps their supports back to repel the offense and clear the point for the win. REVERSE SWEEP! REVERSE SWEEP!

Analysis

Would you really have expected anything different to close out Stage 1 from the Boston Uprising than a 5 game throw down? An all-time, heart attack inducing reverse sweep? What better way could you sum up the Uprising’s season than the chaos that unfolded Saturday night? After taking a night to let the adrenaline of the win work through me, I’m here to give as sober a review as possible.

  • How do you grade the Uprising’s Sombra counter? You could say it was a tale of two halves, as rCk was thwarted much more after halftime than before. But there were still enough big EMPs on Dorado and Nepal to think Boston isn’t where they need to be. Aimgod had some unbelievable picks (as did several others) of Sombra, but there is still room to improve.
  • Uprising fans should be absolutely salivating for Stage 2 after seeing Note switch onto Tracer and Colourhex onto Widow and get the quick picks they did. What a tease of what this team can do once the meta shifts.
  • OGE t-bagging on King’s Row almost put him in the pantheon of OWL villains had they won (right next to Neko in my book) – but the gag job in the second half makes it just a footnote in a tome of epic Overwatch disaster.
  • Colourhex will go unnoticed by most observers, but shouldn’t. He had his energy up exceptionally high and flourished with the attention being given to Fusions. He took full advantage of having no DVa on the Fuel, landing precise and timely Gravitons. He’s been a bit inconsistent on Zarya all stage, but came through this week when the team needed him.
  • Boston’s tenacity can’t be overstated. After a deflating first half, the coaches deserve all the credit in the world for keeping the team focused. Rather than tossing it in, Boston rededicated themselves and played cohesively the second half to earn their first reverse sweep of the season.
  • As I mentioned in my match preview, Volskaya Industries continues to be Boston’s official HQ. Boston moves to 12-1-1 on the map.
  • Fusions’ flex onto Winston worked more often than not. Many wonder if he may be a one-trick and I think tonight he stated his case for being as flexible as anyone in the league.
  • Someone get Fusions a box full of throat lozengers – hopefully they have a long run starting on Thursday that runs through to Sunday.

Playoffs

While the win was nice, the map differential (+1) for the night wasn’t enough to lock in a stage 1 playoff spot. Instead, Boston would rely on the remaining teams who had to play on Saturday and Sunday. See the sequence of league standings and playoff positioning throughout the remaining games:

Right after the Uprising/Fuel match
After the Atlanta/Chengdu match
Atlanta beats Houston – Dallas is out and it’s down to Boston/Guangzhou
Vancouver beats Guangzhou and Boston is officially in!

And with Vancouver winning over Guangzhou, Boston is officially in. Based on the seeding, Boston will open up against the Vancouver Titans. Remember back to opening night when Boston started the season against NYXL and just barely lost, 2-1? Given that the Uprising has had 5 weeks to build up since then, the Uprising could be just the type of trap game that catches the entire league by surprise. Next week will be an exciting playoffs. If the Boston can show the type of cohesion from map 1 through an entire match that they showed in the second half this week against Dallas – watch out.

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Uprising Stage 1 Week 5 Preview

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Saturday, March 16th @ 6 P.M. – Boston Uprising vs. Dallas Fuel

We’ve reached the final week of Stage 1 of the 2019 Overwatch League season. For some teams, this weekend’s game is nothing more than an exhibition and opportunity to retool before Stage 2. Those teams are on the outside looking in. For other teams, this is an opportunity to sharpen their swords as they prepare to capture the Stage 1 title. Then, there are 5 teams whose fate is undecided.

Boston Uprising are one of those teams.

With two days of matches left, and 5 teams on the bubble (Guangzhou, Houston, London, Boston, and Seoul), there is plenty to watch for this weekend. Boston has a complicated set of hypotheticals that boils down to this:

  • They have to beat Dallas on Saturday
  • God forbid Guangzhou wins against Vancouver, they have to be +1 on map differential to get a play-in match
  • If Seoul wins they have to at least tie the map differential of the Seoul/London match
  • Conversely, if London wins, they just need a +2 map differential

Those are the basics of the weekend’s hypotheticals. With that as background, let’s get the background on this week’s opponent, the Dallas Fuel.

It’s High Noon

At 4-2, Dallas has their spot in the Stage 1 playoffs locked in already. Their +1 map differential is the lowest of any team poised for playoffs at this moment, suggesting their record is a bit deceiving. They’ve got two wins against Shanghai, one against Seoul, and one against Philadelphia. Not exactly a gauntlet of opponents. Additionally, they were swept 4-0 by both Guangzhou and San Francisco in their only two losses. Take from that record what you will.

Looking at their typical team comps, Dallas has ran the 3-3 consistently throughout the season. Interestingly, they haven’t been afraid to bring in the Sombra or Winston, with rCk on Sombra and OGe on the Winston. It’s likely we’ll see some Sombra as many teams have tried to use that against Boston since their collapse against Shanghai in week 2. What will be most interesting is who Dallas puts on Zarya.

Akm and Effect have switched off and on the Zarya all season, with many considering akm the better off-tank. In fact, Effect didn’t see playing time the last two matches. Therefore Boston should be preparing for the Colourhex and akm matchup on Zarya. While Colourhex’s performance on Zarya has fluctuated all season, he’s more than capable of stepping up in big spots. Saturday will be a perfect opportunity to show how far he’s come this season.

Justice Rains from Above

A new part of these weekly previews will be looking at the map pools and win-rates. Taking a look at the map pool gives an interesting forecast for the matchup:

MapBostonDallas
Ilios
76%
(13-0-4)		29%
(4-0-10)
King’s Row
42%
(5-0-7)		38%
(5-0-8)
Volskaya Industries
92%
(11-1-1)		25%
(2-3-6)
Dorado
46%
(6-0-7)		31%
(4-1-9)

First, Volskaya Industries has been unofficially labeled “Uprising Industries” from all the way back last season. Their 92% win rate makes it hard to believe Dallas could upset them on that map. Both Dorado and King’s Row seem like a toss up. Likely the biggest surprise will be whether or not Note puts on the Reaper again on King’s Row, and if he can land the Death Blossom without getting booped off the map this time. Lastly, I also would love to see Boston pull out the Hammond on Ilios, as I think Fusions is begging for a chance to unleash what he has on the hero.

Predicton

I don’t see Boston letting the opportunity to crash the Stage 1 playoffs slip through their hands. Dallas appears to me to be a team that’s just barely squeaked by thanks to a soft schedule and has lost against any reasonable degree of competition. As a result, Boston needs to step up and take control early. Not only do they need to win, but map differential is going to be critical in securing their spot in the playoffs. They cannot afford to let any map go as it could unseat them from their spot by the end of the weekend.

Boston needs to stick to what has gotten them this far in Stage 1. Aggressive, vocal-cord killing shot calling from Fusion, timely pick offs by Note, Kellex and Aimgod coordinating to counter any EMPs, and Colourhex playing at worse a mediocre Zarya. Oh and Blase can just do Blase things. He seems to be desperate to play Doomfist (judging by his Twitter and his post-game interview last week). Hopefully the new patch will give him the chance. In the meantime, Boston has to stay focused, listen to their coaching, and believe in what’s gotten them through this far. Prove. Them. Wrong.

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